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MAGICALRITUALMETHODSWilliam G. GraySAMUEL WEISER, INC.York Beach, Maine
CONTENTSpageChapter OneRite and Reason7Chapter TwoMaking a Magical Mystery18Chapter ThreeSpeaking With Symbols35Chapter FourConstructing the Cosmos56Chapter FiveConditioning Consciousness93Chapter SixSensory Ritualism132Chapter SevenRitual Sonics and Invocations175Chapter EightRites and their ComponentsChapter NineConstruct or Destruct229275
RITE AND REASONThere is probably more rubbish believed and written aboutMagical Rituals than any other subject. From the wildest guessworkand the most fertile imaginations, magical rituals and theirpractitioners are invested with every conceivable impossibility orabsurdity. Nonsense runs riot. As usual, the sensationalist writercatering for the willingly credulous reader is largely to blame. Mostpeople want to believe in whatever stirs their sense beyond theaverage rate, thus providing them with lifts, kicks, thrills, orvariations from their living-line. It is of course quite necessary tohuman progress and evolution that we should rise above our ownlevels all the time, but there are right and wrong ways of doing this.Magical workings can supply both.We come from the Eternal and return to this same Sourcethrough an unimaginable circle of Cosmic Creative Evolution. Inour attempts to relate ourselves consciously with our hidden originsand background of pure BEING, we have made a great number ofmento-emotional structures which serve our purpose to their limiteddegree, according to our ability to use them. Religions, philosophies,and sciences have grown up with us, together with the arts andwhatever else extends our awareness toward the Unknown—whichis our Great Necessity. Yet the basis of all our beliefs is neither morenor less that what may fairly be termed "Magic"!Definition of Magic is largely a matter of individual opinion,since it means so many things to so many people, and there are somany claims made in its name. Fundamentally it remains what italways was: Man's most determined effort to establish an actualworking relationship through himself between his Inner and Outerstates of being. By magic, Man shows that he is not content to besimply a pawn in the Great Game, but wants to play on his ownaccount. Man the meddler insists on becoming Man the Magician,7
and so learns the rules the hard way, for magic is concerned withDoing, while mysticism is concerned with Being.Magic seeks to translate energies from one state of existence toanother in accordance with an intention of the operative intelligence.So does science. The difference between magician and scientist liesin method and materials, which sometimes are not so dissimilar asmight appear. A circle-dance and a cyclotron have much incommon. The symbolic tools of magi and mathematician bothoperate through Inner dimensions to cause Outer effects. Modernscience has evolved far more ritual procedures in its techniquesthan ancient magicians ever dreamed of, and they all come fromthe same source—Man's curiosity concerning the Cosmos and whathe has to do with it; human attempts at growing into Godhood.Ritual is a major tool of magic and science alike for patterningthe consciousness of its operatives so that calculable results maybe obtained. Unhappily it is a sadly neglected tool, ill cared for andmisunderstood. The scientist is showing more respect for it thanthe magician, so he is getting better results with it today. This is apity, because ritual has incalculable value for those able to handleit effectively, and as a way of life it has everything to offer thosewho can follow the pattern of its paths. To some extent we are allritualists of one kind or another, but we shall concern ourselves inthis work entirely with ritual classifiable under the broad headingof "Magical". We will attempt to understand its basic fundamentalsand set it in order as a practical art in its own right, having at leastas great a value to human users as literature, drama, music, orscience. None of our civilisation would be possible without thoseamenities, and none of them would have developed without magic,so we are assured of a worth-while study.If we, commence our task by considering actual human practitioners of magical rituals both past and present, it will prove mostdiscouraging, even though it provides much material and great hopefor the future. The single indisputable fact is that magical rites andtheir workers have continued throughout the ages into the presenttime, and are unlikely to cease abruptly unless humanity ceases atthe same instant. The actual happenings of magical rites varyenormously according to century and culture, but basics are thesame, and those must be our main concern.To obtain a reasonable picture of ritual magic in the world oftoday is a virtual impossibility. The image presents as nasty a messas much modern artistic excretion. What with self-acclaimed"Witches" inventing ritualistic covers for sex-naughtiness, andpompous amateur Ipsissimi proclaiming themselves minor or majorDeities, magical ritualism is touching an all-time "low" at thisperiod of its tide. Its public image is decidedly poor to say the least8
of it. As against this, there do exist genuine and dedicated souls whokeep ancient traditions going the best way they can, whetherindividually or in minority groupings. Magical rites have never beenfor the multitude any more than other highly specialised activities.The peculiar secrecy surrounding magical practices is notaltogether a matter of deliberate policy, but stems from inadequacyof verbal or other symbology to express their meaning. Baredescriptions of the purely physical aspects of ritualism cannotpossibly convey the significance of their inner contents. Knowingthis either consciously or instinctively, practitioners of magical riteshave maintained silence or given out such garbled versions of theiractivities, that very little practical use can be made of these. Wemay know what was done on material levels, and even all thewords that were said. This still does not tell us the hows and whysor wherefores to be properly placed and activated Inwardly beforeany rite will work to the slightest degree.General ritual practice throughout individual and collectiveOccultism in the Western world of modern times is little to admireor consider praiseworthy. It lacks synthesis, cohesion, and evenpracticability. Few individuals have any qualifications as exponentsof the art, and not many have the qualities necessary to acquire it.There are no authentic text-books to help basic approaches, andsham secrecy is too often used as a cover for sheer ignorance.Despite all this, many souls are drawn toward ritual practicebecause of their need of it on deep spiritual levels which nothingelse will fulfil. Unless they are provided with reliable data and basicinformation concerning ritualism, they will not only lose opportunities for gaining the art, but worse still, the art itself will losehighly valuable practitioners, which it can ill afford to do at present.In the hope of offering practical and necessary means for thestudy and operation of ritual practice, especially as applied toWestern methods, this present work is attempted. It is realised therewill necessarily be many shortcomings, inadequacies, insufficiencies,and probably inaccuracies. Such is inevitable when human intelligence tries to enter the unexplored and bring back evidence of itsjourney. Nevertheless if sufficient interest is aroused in other mindsand souls to make their own explorations and to synthesise theirfindings into better and fuller shapes, for the benefit of themselvesand their posterity, the mission behind this effort will have beenfully accomplished. The main purpose is to deal with basics andnot launch into involved discussions or commentaries. It musttherefore be assumed that readers are capable of supplying theirown comments or philosophising. Whether there is agreement ordisagreement with what follows is immaterial. If genuine thought9
and action is evoked, the rite behind these writings will have provedeffective.Since a start must be made somewhere, let us begin by examiningthe nature of ritual itself. This is neither more nor less than dedicatedhuman behaviour extended through varying dimensions of existence.Life and ritual are inseparable. Our morning tea is a ritual, so isevening T.V. Ritual is habitual, intentional, conventional, markingthe numbers by which we live and die. There are religious rituals,military rituals, social rituals, and rituals associated with everypossible type of human expression. We are concerning ourselves inthis enquiry with magical ritual however, so we must decide whatsets this apart from other species of ritualistic activity.The distinguishing feature of magical ritualism is what modernslang would term its "Way-outness", or degree of extension fromwhat might be termed average human ritualistic behaviour. It is notso much the methods of magical rites which make them unique, butthe direction and intent of the operative consciousness behind them.They are only magical because they depart so far from the circlesof consciousness controlling other human rites that have becomecommonplace activities.It is Man the Magician who leads humanity toward the Unknown.The magician of yesterday becomes the scientist of today. Whereare today's magicians? Those who will push so far ahead into freshfields of consciousness that it will take the rest of humanity manyincarnations to make use of what is brought through. Where asingle human soul has been, others may follow—eventually. Thereis strong similarity between a magician and an astronaut, save thelatter is exploring Outer Space, and the former deals with dimensions reached Inwardly. The two states are metaphysically identical.The training and launching procedures of both magician andastronaut are not at all unlike, and their objective is the same—extension of human consciousness toward Truth. Both must be infull disciplined control of their faculties throughout their respectiveoperations, and should their sanity slip it means equal disaster indifferent ways.It was once thought that magical ritual dealt entirely with whatwere then called Angels and Demons. It is still perfectly true to saythat magical work is indeed connected with linking human intelligence to very different sources of consciousness than mortal ones.Otherwise it would have small value apart from entertainment.Whether or not we term such extra-mortal intelligences Angels,Demons, or anything else, makes no difference to their essentialnatures. They exist, we exist, and interdimensional contact can bemade between our different spheres of consciousness. The natureand results of such contacts may be as variable as there are instances10
of occurrence. Terms of reference on the differing levels of beingare so divergent from each other that only symbolic communicationis normally possible. Hence the symbolic nature of magical rituals.At first casual impression, it might be considered that suchcontacts would be useless to the human race as a whole, and ofdoubtful value to the rare individuals who could not even expressthem in writing or other normal human communicatory methods.In fact however, individual linkages with extra-mortal Intelligenceshave a greater effect than might be supposed on all humans.However individual we may be as human units, and no matterhow isolated we are from others physically, we are connectedtogether on deep common levels of mind and soul. Energies operating at such depths affect us all or in part, depending on their natureand placement. Whatsoever a single soul feels, or one mind thinks,can be shared by the rest of humanity providing an energy-impactis made correctly.In commonplace circles of circumstance, a single human consciousness affects little beyond its immediate contacts to any degreeworth considering. Should it extend or intensify past these limits,the family or group with which it is associated will be involved.Further extensions and intensifications will touch ethnic or nationaland racial levels. Continue the process, and basic humanity will bereached. Nor need we stop there, for who knows the ultimateextension of consciousness?It should be appreciated that an exact energy-occurrence atprecisely the right point of existence could alter an entire sequenceof eventualities. One thought might change a whole life, oneindividual deflect the destiny of a nation. A single microbe canmean the difference between physical life or death. The slightestvariation at the absolute inception of any course means enormoussubsequent differences. This is how magic works, by dealing withenergies on far more subtle levels than physical ones, which nevertheless have appreciable and calculable effects throughout all orspecific points of our existence.We are learning even from modern science how to "track back"along lines of power until we discover the apparent source of themost enormous energies to be what seems to us—Nothing. We havebeen looking at Existence through the wrong end of our telescope,and found that what used to be considered insignificant, nebulous,unreal, and even unthinkable, is in fact the most solid reality inbeing. The further away we go from physical matter and materialismthe more real does Existence become. Our once good sound sensibleworld of unquestionable solidity has treacherously turned vague,insubstantial, undependable, and positively doubtful of its right to11
exist at all. One nice atomic blast reduces it to fundamental cosmicdust, or beyond that, to resonant energy.The art of magic may be defined as being like that of usingArchimedes' hypothetical lever to move an entire world if properlyarranged. The magical lever however, is extended through onedimension into others before pressure is applied, and fortunatelythis is an impracticability for the vast majority of human beings.Otherwise we should have destroyed ourselves long ago. We havealready shifted ourselves into the greatest degree of danger we canpossibly reach short of disaster. A few determined efforts by mastermagicians during the next several decades will move the leverbeyond the safety or destruction mark.The bulk of humanity is quite incapable of effective magicalaction except as mass-movement. Few minds or souls can extendsufficiently from their average level of existence to exert muchinfluence at other points. Magic is not for the many except concertedly. This is not because most people have not enough power,they have infinitely more than they will ever suspect, and wastemore energy in one life than is needed to complete a whole evolution.Most mortals make ineffective magicians because they cannot bringtheir energies to bear upon the right points with adequate skill.Magic is not unlike judo or karate which needs quality rather thanquantity of energy, applied with exact precision of impact andintent.Magical ritual practices are those which have been found byexperience and experiment to be suitable for development andapplication of the specialised spiritual skills necessary to work withhigh-potency energies on Inner levels. Most of them are humanresponses to pressures applied in the first instance by Intelligencesof a much more developed order of Being than mankind. This doesnot necessarily mean that such Beings are either pro or anti human.It means simply they are utterly different in construction andconsciousness to a human being. We may call them divine or whatever we please, but we have no means whatever of contacting themwith any ordinary sense linking a human body with its externalenvironment. Since we are provided with such senses, it followsthat we must find extraordinary ways of employing them if we areto go beyond their merely mortal limits. These unusual ways ofusing a human sensorium may be classified as ritual methods.Some Schools of Inner Existence prefer not to use ritual sensemethods at all, but confine themselves to meditational or contemplative means of approaching the Unknown. In fact both Meditationand Magic are entirely necessary to each other for the full development of the human soul. Each fulfils the other's shortcomings.In all ritual training work therefore, there should be periods of12
meditation carefully balanced with ritual activity. The one andonly way any training can be effective is to outline a definiteprogramme and adhere to it as closely as possible. This is valid inthe case of magic just as much as mechanics and probably withmore reason. Although it is totally against the best traditions ofmagic to provide correspondence or other courses in the art, somesystem and order is absolutely necessary if any proficiency in magicis ever to be attained. The ideal method of training is for thestudent to obtain it directly from Inner sources in accordance withhis individual requirements. Since this is more than exceptionallyrare, the next line of contact is a qualified Master on earth, who is amost unusual being to meet with. Even sham Masters are gettingscarce today! This leaves only text books or working Lodges tolearn from. How many of either are available on demand?The situation prevailing in the Western world of modern times inrelation to ceremonial magical ritual is that no authentic text-booksexist, and apart from a very few working groups of doubtfulcompetence, there are no practical means of learning or operatingit. If ritual magic is to be kept in Tradition through the presenttransitions of the modern world, student-practitioners must takeupon themselves the responsibility of their own training and development. There is no reason why this should not be a highly successfulmagical operation in its own right, for there are quite enoughInnerworld teachers waiting to guide and direct the work onceearthly practitioners have built their side of the bridge between thetwo different dimensions.Learning about the "whats" of ritual magic is not very difficult.They are scattered far and wide through a vast number of booksand other sources of information. As such, they are of no morevalue than a heap of components to someone with no idea of howto assemble and use them. The vital hows and whys are missing. Inaddition, there are no feasible rituals published for use by sincerestudents, who are faced with either medieval rubbish or totallyunsuitable material intended for Group-working by genuine orpseudo-Masonic bodies. Ideally, they should learn how to constructand operate their own rituals, but how many are capable of this?The scope and intention of this particular book will therefore beto direct attention toward the elements of learning and practisingmagical ritual methods. Although it will keep more or less withinthe framework of customary Temple procedure, the same basicsapply throughout every differing variation of magical practice.Students will be shown how to arrange and direct their own studies,although nothing in the nature of a "course" is intended, but onlythe importance and use of methodical application indicated andadvised.13
Before commencing any operation, it is always sensible to considerthe end-product intended. In the case of ritual magic we must neverlose sight of the fact that it is in itself purely a means of producingone end. A trained and disciplined consciousness, capable of workingon causatory and other Inner levels, together with a soul raised tofull spiritual status in its own right. None of us may ever reach thefull degree of human perfection, but at least we may make as muchprogress as possible along the path leading to that point. Magicalrituals are capable of directing us this Way.Ritual is not entirely a single type of activity, but comprises quitea number of separate abilities and factors conjoined for an overallreason. A ritualist must be a creative artist in a number of fieldseach needing its own skill and practice. Anyone adhering to the oldtradition of making their own magical workings would need someabilities in the following; literature, languages, poetry, drama (mimeand elocution), metalwork, woodwork, needlework, painting,designing, music, dancing, elementary chemistry, floristry, plus anyother skill that might have a bearing on the rituals worked.Additionally, of course, many personal qualities would be essential,such as: creative imagination, patience, good humour, insight,determination, physical stamina, sound health, and indeed theentire gamut of worthwhile human potentials. Nothing less willachieve any magical success worth having. If for no other reason,magic is well worth practising for the sake of its valuable effectson the practitioner.The problems of ritual magic are those attending any kind ofenergy patterning and directing. What is the nature of the energyinvolved, how is it to be generated and controlled, what are thetechnicalities concerning its use, and so forth. It is no more possibleto answer the question concerning the exact nature of the energyused in magic than we can say for certainty what electricity is. As inelectrical engineering, much is known about the generation,manipulation, and application of the energy in question, but itsactuality remains concealed in the NIL of its origin. The more wediscover about it, the greater its Zero-point becomes.It has been known since time immemorial that the operativeenergy of magical effects is connected in the closest way with livingconsciousness and is directable therewith. Mankind is only capableof dealing with these energies according to his particular degree ofawareness-ability in relation to them. The actually of such a degreeis the real degree of Initiation.Going back to primitive times, we find that animal and humanlife was ritually sacrificed or dedicated to the fulfilment of magicalintentions. This crude supply of attuned energy was often effectiveamong communities of conscious individuals with few inhibitions14
or complexities of consciousness. It worked because they couldsee no reason why it shouldn't. Nevertheless such methods of lifesacrifice are like burning a whole forest down to heat one cauldronof water. They would not work today because we can think of somany reasons against them, and have learned far more efficientmeans of obtaining much greater results.The sex act and all its variations were (and still are), used as apower-provider in magical ritual workings. Among those with noother means of initiating energies, or ability to exercise control overthe same energy on more effectual levels, little else becomesavailable, but the disadvantages of indiscriminate sexuality are sonumerous and obvious they scarcely need repeating at length. Bloodand sex may still make best-sellers, because they mean Life andDeath, Mankind's two main Gates to the Mysteries of his being, butthere are better ways of contacting and applying the energies behindthem than with stone knife or fertility flagellum.We must remember that copulating and killing were early Man'sonly ways of asserting his influence with Life and Death. ModernMan as a whole does not seem to have grown very far from theprimitive practice of these fundamental magical Principles. In thecase of the blood-sacrifice, life energy was directed from the Outerto the Inner worlds, and with the sex act the same type of energywas evoked from the Inner to the Outer. In both instances a forceflow occurred, and the human operators hoped to "cash in on theact" by superimposing their personal or collective intentions uponthe process. Sound magic, but sad misuse of elementary energy. Sexand slaughter methods are like using dynamite to break an eggshell,or a pickaxe for precision work. Yet we should not forget that bothseed and blood are life-essences linked directly with the energies weare approaching in practical magic.What the early magicians (and many moderns), had not taken intoaccount was that overt acts of sex and slaughter were but externalisations of natural processes occuring in and around us anyway.We are dying and being reborn all the time. The ritual acts of Birthand Death are going on inside us constantly. It is on these Innerlevels that instructed modern Initiates seek to tap the powerpoints of Infinitesimal Infinity from whence all energy is directlyderived. There is no especial need to take seed or blood out of abody already connected with Inner Life.It may be germane to enquire here why any ritual proceduresuch as chanting, costumes, or other theatricalities should benecessary at all if seed and blood sacrifices may be dispensed with.Part of the answer is that such a sacrifice has not been eliminated,but simply altered in method. The rest of the answer is that onlyAdepts of a very high order are able to by-pass conventional ways15
of bringing a normal human consciousness into operative linkagewith Otherworld energies. The principles of ritual have stood thestringent tests of many centuries, and although they may and shouldalter outwardly, they are fundamentally as valid as they alwayswere. We disregard them to our disadvantage. Besides this, manyritual procedures are quite unconnected with sacrificial motivations,being concerned with arrangements of consciousness for quitedifferent reasons.In understanding and dealing with ritual usage, it is alwayshelpful to contrast the most primitive practices with their presentforms among us, and extrapolate their future developments as faras we can. A very great deal of valuable information can be obtainedthis way. If we look back carefully enough, the magic mirror of thepast may reveal the future behind our reflected images.For example, the rituals of early man were not planned andelaborate affairs at all, but purely spontaneous reactions to environmental stimuli from Outer and Inner levels. Man acted impulsivelyand irresponsibly in his attempts to adjust himself to the Worlds ofhis existence. He is still doing so, but experience has brought degreesof control resulting in the questionable structure of our civilisation.If we continue to develop control over our elements of existence,we shall ultimately become full Adepts in the Mystery of Life.Early rituals of tribal man had little grace or glory to commendthem. They were often spur of the moment affairs linked withhuman frustrations and attempts to be other than existing circumstances allowed. Man trying to break his material bounds throughmental dimensions, or increase himself inwardly because no outwardopening for action presented itself. Perhaps he might stalk someanimal for hours, make his spring—and miss. His disappearingdinner sparked off a whole chain of reactions. Some root, stone, orother natural formation nearby had a vague or fancied resemblanceto the escaped beast. The infuriated and disgruntled hunter attackedit instead, muttering the grunts and noises of the chase. Nowadayswe should say he "got it out of his system". In those days it was afull scale ritual.The apparently futile action of our unlucky ancestor had quite anumber of results. Apart from relieving his tensions (and how muchdo we need that very relief today?), it helped to restore his selfconfidence, gave him some useful exercise in spear-work, and onInner levels sent a great many messages into what we now call theUniversal Mind which were subsequently answered to some humanadvantage. The ritual may not have produced its worker animmediate meal, but it helped to bring about future skills andcircumstances resulting in further feeding.Our ritual reaction-patterns nowadays should have reached far16
higher levels than those of pre-historic times both as regards motiveand methods. Nevertheless ritual is still a matter of reflex activity,however much it is brought within the control of the operatives. Theconditioned reflex is a basic of modern ritualism, which seeks toapply calculated stimuli in order to obtain intended reactions. Withany kind of Group-working, this means that those involved mustaccept some common mythos or base-plan in, on, and around whichto work. Otherwise they will get no results worth having.This is how the various Mysteries and magical Schools cameinto being. In order to fulfil the essential condition of operatingwith one mind in one place at one time, occult practitioners agreedto construct an Inner Cosmos of their own in which their Inner livescould be lived and related to the rest of Existence. Intelligencesfrom Inner levels co-operated, and the resulting structure becameestablished as an authentic state of being, capable of supporting theconscious activities of its particular Initiates for perhaps manyhuman generations. Some made Temples, some Groves, someLandscapes, some Castles, and in fact people of different typesmade whatever appealed to them most in the Innerworld. Theirrituals were directed toward the maintenance and improvement ofthese realities, for reality is neither more nor less than anyone makesit. Let us see what methods are used in the making of any particularMystery, so that if none of the existing ones suit us, we shall be ableto make our own.17
MAKING A MAGICAL MYSTERYAn Occult or Magical Mystery is a psycho-physical interarrangement between intelligent entities existing in differingdimensions of being, for some mutual purpose. The world "occult"means that the matter has unrealised extensions beyond the normallimits of its operative consciousness, and also that it is concealedfrom those excluded from its workings. The word "Mystery"signifies the whole affair to be intentionally confined within anagreed framework in order to preserve its essential purity of nature."Purity" to be understood as an unmixed condition of being.The construction material of the Mysteries is derived fromconsciousness processed into suitable symbolic units for interdimensional exchanges of energy. The Master-Concept is that thewhole of Existence or Being is made from differentiations of aSingle Universal Element. This U.E. is conformable to appliedconscio
Ritual is a major tool of magic and science alike for patterning the consciousness of its operatives so that calculable results may be obtained. Unhappily it is a sadly neglected tool, ill cared for and misunderstood. The scientist is showing more respect for it than the magician,
